CHAPTER XIX 



AMONG THE YURACARE INDIANS OF THE RIO 



CHIMORE 



True to his promise, Padre Fulgencio sent the Indians to 

 Todos Santos, and on the morning of August 2 we packed 

 into canoes such of our equipment as was necessary for the 

 trip and started across the brown water of the Chapare. 



On the other side of the river there was no clearing; the 

 trees grew down to the water's edge, and the moment the 

 canoes were left behind we plunged into the perpetual gloom 

 of the forest. 



An indistinct trail led into the heart of the jungle. The 

 Indians adjusted our belongings on their backs, securing 

 them with broad strips of bark placed across the forehead; 

 then they set out at a good pace, a number of women and 

 children carrying boiled yuccas and plantains, trudging at 

 the rear of the procession. 



There was not much undergrowth, but the ground, from 

 which there is little evaporation on account of the dense 

 canopy overhead, was very muddy. Every few rods we 

 came to a deep streamlet which had to be crossed on the 

 trunks of fallen trees; some of these slimy bridges were 

 sixty feet long and almost impassable to us, but the Indians 

 strode across as unconcernedly as geckos. Half-way to the 

 mission the Indians stopped for lunch and a short rest, and 

 by noon we reached the edge of the clearing, having covered 

 a distance of twelve miles. 



After a tramp of half a mile through weedy fields of 

 maize and yuccas, we reached the mission-buildings — a few 

 dozen low grass huts clustering around an open square. 

 At one end rose two structures of large size which served 

 as the church and general meeting-place. Near the centre 



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